Explanation:
The total lunar eclipse of September 1996
disappointed many observers in North America who
were cursed with cloudy skies.
However, the
Midcourse
Space Experiment (MSX) satellite had
a spectacular view from Earth orbit and
SPIRIT III,
an onboard infrared telescope, was used to
repeatedly image the moon
during the eclipse.
Above is one of
the images taken during the 70 minute totality, the Moon completely
immersed in
the Earth's shadow.
Infrared light
has wavelengths
longer than visible light - human's can not see it but feel it as heat.
The bright spots correspond to the warm areas on the
lunar surface, dark areas are cooler.
The brightest spot below and left of center is the
crater Tycho,
the dark region at the upper right is
the Mare Crisium.
The series of SPIRIT III images allow the determination of cooling
rates for geologically different areas, exploring the physical properties
of the Moon's surface.